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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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How to use enlarging lens with NEX cameras
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:54 pm
Post subject: How to use enlarging lens with NEX cameras
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:54 pm
Post subject: How to use enlarging lens with NEX cameras
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I found Minolta portable bellows at eBay, so got it and change its mount to E-mount as you see.


The photo shows the lens' infinity position, but you can extend this bellows much longer,
so that you can focus to 0.33m with this E.ROKKOR 75mmF4.5. You can use any enlarging
lens over 70mm FL without any trouble. Cool

This portable bellows is well made, the only problem might be this; you have to extend or shrink the bellows
by your hand to focus the lens. That round nob is to secure the bellows position not for focusing.
It is the ultimate manual focus system. Confused

A quick example (@f5.6):


A little more examples are here > http://www.pbase.com/kkawakami/rokkor_e_75mm_f45_enlarge


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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:14 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:14 pm
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Wow, nice results.
I'm also experimenting with enlarger lenses, I use an AutoBellows from Pentax (M42) and a set of adapters I'm building to match the M42 to the 36, 32.5 and 25mm screws of the different enlarger lenses.
Up to now, I've been able of testing lenses from 90mm upwards, the 50mm one I got cannot reach infinity with my bellows. Yours seem to be more compact...

http://forum.mflenses.com/rodenstock-omegaron-90mm-f4-5-enlarger-lens-t47582.html

Being M42, I can put them into any cam. The pictures in the thread above were the first tests with an old Pentacon bellows.

Regards.
Jes.


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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:20 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:20 pm
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Thanks for the idea. I also have some enlarger lenses here.


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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:43 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:43 am
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many thanks to sharing it! Excellent idea!


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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:34 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:34 am
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I'm using M42 bellows with an M39 to M42 adapter. I find it's actually possible to reach infinity focus with enlarger lenses 90mm or longer this way, does not even need to be a mirrorless camera but any that can take M42 lenses with infinity focus. Of course the lenses are more convenient for macro use.


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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 3:33 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 3:33 am
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I use a focusing adapter which works on all M42 lenses. It works on some 50 mm and longer focal length enlargers which adapted to M42.


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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:30 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:30 am
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calvin83 wrote:
I use a focusing adapter which works on all M42 lenses. It works on some 50 mm and longer focal length enlargers which adapted to M42.


Nice to know. Could you post some more details?. I'm stuck on 90mm up, shorter lenses don't allow for infinity focusing in my setup...
Regards.
Jes.


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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:41 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:41 am
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Jesito wrote:
calvin83 wrote:
I use a focusing adapter which works on all M42 lenses. It works on some 50 mm and longer focal length enlargers which adapted to M42.


Nice to know. Could you post some more details?. I'm stuck on 90mm up, shorter lenses don't allow for infinity focusing in my setup...
Regards.
Jes.

+1, I'm also interesting to see some details/images Very Happy
This bellow looks nice, the only problem is that :"This portable bellows is well made, the only problem might be this; you have to extend or shrink the bellows by your hand to focus the lens." Confused .....


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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:55 am
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:55 am
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That bellow is quiet pricy. I cannot afford that at the moment.
Great result, I think it's worth


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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:58 pm
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:58 pm
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A few more photos:

The entire setting


The new mount (E-mount already installed, I modified Hawks factory m4/3->E mount adapter.)


The original Minolta SR-mount part (you can make any mount to this shape for your fav)


I use M42->SR mount adapter now.


The side view


I just mounted Flektogon 35mm F2.4


African violet by Flektogon 35mm @ f11 (without extending the bellows)


For macro shooting, you can move the whole system (ie. camera + tripod + possibly macro rail)
so you do not have to focus by extending the bellows much. But for general shootings,
the problem of focusing occurs. If you use a tripod, it isn't too difficult but for shooting a portraiture
it becomes a bit difficult to focus, since the subject and you move constantly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To DIY people: You find an appropriate mount base for camera system first,
then trim it down to fit to the bellows base. You should find the mount at least
1mm thick one since you have to counter-sink screw heads. If you use flat-head
screws you can go with thinner base mount I think. Otherwise the process is simple to do.

Last edited by koji on Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:49 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 12:41 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 12:41 pm
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A photo of my 5N with the focusing adapter and a 24mm lens. (I use my photo to take the photo so the first one is blurred)

The helicoid is at its minimum length. It will acts as an M42 to NEX adapter.


If the MFD of the lens is not short enough, we can tune the helicoid....


The helicoid is available in PK mount too. Wink


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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 12:48 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 12:48 pm
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Hi Calvin, where did you find it (M42->NEX with a helicoid)?

I was looking for this kind of adapter for other mount such as C/Y.


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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 1:21 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 1:21 pm
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koji wrote:
Hi Calvin, where did you find it (M42->NEX with a helicoid)?

I was looking for this kind of adapter for other mount such as C/Y.

I bought it from China.

If you need a C/Y mount helicoid, you may modify a Vivitar 2x Macro Focusing Tele-Converter in C/Y mount.


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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 8:55 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 8:55 pm
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calvin83 wrote:
koji wrote:
Hi Calvin, where did you find it (M42->NEX with a helicoid)?

I was looking for this kind of adapter for other mount such as C/Y.

I bought it from China.

If you need a C/Y mount helicoid, you may modify a Vivitar 2x Macro Focusing Tele-Converter in C/Y mount.


Thanks for the clue, Calvin, but how do you that?.
To me the Teleconverters are fixed lenses sets to multiply by two the focal lens of the lens attached, so I don't see how to convert it in an Helicoid.

Thanks in advance.
Jes.


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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 6:49 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 6:49 am
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calvin83 wrote:
A photo of my 5N with the focusing adapter and a 24mm lens. (I use my photo to take the photo so the first one is blurred)

The helicoid is at its minimum length. It will acts as an M42 to NEX adapter.
If the MFD of the lens is not short enough, we can tune the helicoid....


The helicoid is available in PK mount too. Wink


looks great!
are these also available on the internet? I could not find them..


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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:38 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:38 am
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Jesito wrote:

Thanks for the clue, Calvin, but how do you that?.
To me the Teleconverters are fixed lenses sets to multiply by two the focal lens of the lens attached, so I don't see how to convert it in an Helicoid.

Thanks in advance.
Jes.

This Teleconverters has a build in helicoid. You have to remove the lens elements and the rear mount in the adapter, you can put any mount you like. Please refer to this thread: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,151337.html .

kuuan wrote:

looks great!
are these also available on the internet? I could not find them..

Check this old thread in MFL club and look for "M42 to Sony NEX E mount helicoid adaptor" .
http://forum.mflenses.com/groupbuy-on-helicoid-and-adaptersend-27nov-t44520.html


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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:12 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:12 pm
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Again, thanks a lot Calvin!.
Very good information there Wink

Regards.
Jes.


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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 3:49 pm
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 3:49 pm
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Here's the solution I came up with over winter:

It's a Novoflex, and I converted it to M-mount for simplicity of mounting to my NEX.


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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 12:27 am
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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 12:27 am
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Guess what I did today...Parallel thinking. I did exactly the same. It fits better on the A6000 than the NEX



A lovely piece of kit

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